Healing the Heart
by Azure Lullaby
Summary: Chris finds a girl on the streets and takes her home with her. Can he help break the wall she has set around her heart? [preAlice 19th][Chris x OC]
1. Prologue

Summary: Chris finds a girl on the streets and takes her home with her. Can he help break the wall she has set around her heart? pre-Alice 19th  
Rating: K+ for now, may rise  
Pairing: Eventual ChrisxOC  
Disclaimer: Alice 19th belongs to Yuu Watase. I do not own it. I write purely to entertain. However, I do own all unrecognizable characters.

* * *

Prologue

* * *

It was a cool Saturday night in April. It was a bit breezy, enough so that most people felt no desire to go out. In fact, the streets were empty except for a small boy. He seemed to be about 11 years old. By looking at his clothes one could tell he is rich. However, he walked with a slight limp as if his leg had been permanently damaged. 

Chris sat down on a bench underneath a dim streetlight. He had been walking for so long that his leg had begun to ache. The accident had completely shredded the muscle. Only his father's money and influence had prevented the need for his leg to be amputated. However, for all of his father's knowledge, he remained ignorant of the true nature of some of the people around him.

"Why does father keep seeing that woman?" Chris sighed. "Any fool could tell that she only is after his fortune. He's so blind."

From an alley nearby, a sound echoed. The echo was distorted the point that the sound was undistinguishable. Chris stood up slowly, unsure of whether to ignore it and go home or investigate. 'I should go home. Stewart will be looking for me.'

He turned and started to walk to his mansion. 'It's only a few blocks away. I'm sure my leg will be fine.' However, he heard the sound again, more clearly this time. It sounded like a person crying. After a moment's hesitation, he shook his head. 'I will regret this one day.' Being very careful of where he was walking, Chris entered the alleyway.

Crouched by the alley wall, was a girl. Chris could only figure that much because of the long, brown hair that hid her face. Tattered, dirty clothes hung from her body. She was crying softly, from what he had no idea. Whatever it was, it seemed apparent that the girl had not heard Chris enter the alley. He approached her slowly. After all, he didn't know that this girl wasn't going to turn around and attack him. Even when he was standing only a meter or so away, the girl didn't take notice of him. She was preoccupied with the fingers clutching her side. Dripping from between her fingers was…

"Blood! Oh my God!" Chris held his hand to the girl's side and concentrated on the wound there. "Jiva!"

The wound knit itself together, leaving bloody clothes as the only evidence that it ever existed. Blue eyes looked at him in shock before the girl slowly stood up, leaning heavily on the wall. "Thank you." she mumbled.

"Don't worry about it." Chris smiled. "Do you want me to take you home?"

"No!" she screamed. She backed away, hitting a box and falling to the ground. "No." she repeated, quieter this time.

Chris sighed. There was obviously something wrong with her but this was a bad place to probe into it. "Fine. At least let me take you to my house so you can rest."

She thought about it for a moment. She could go with him and not know what to expect or stay where she was, hungry and cold. While neither option appealed to her, one was clearly better than the other. "Okay." Chris helped her to the bench.

Once she was settle and resting, Chris pulled out his phone, punching in some numbers. "Hello Stewart…Yes, I'm fine…My leg hurts a bit but it will be okay…. Listen. Come pick me up at the corner of Main St. and Westchester Ave. Also, have the maids prepare a guest room…I'll explain everything later."

Two minutes later, a small car pulled up in front of the two small figures on the bench. Stewart stepped out and quickly helped Chris carry the girl onto the backseat. He looked at the girl. She looked so peaceful fast asleep; Chris couldn't bring herself to wake her up.

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	2. Chapter 1

Summary: Chris finds a girl on the streets and takes her home with her. Can he help break the wall she has set around her heart? Pre-Alice 19th  
Rating: K+ for now, may rise  
Pairing: Eventual ChrisxOC  
Disclaimer: Alice 19th belongs to Yuu Watase. I do not own it. I write purely to entertain. However, I do own all unrecognizable characters.

* * *

Chapter One

* * *

The girl opened her eyes slowly. She was in a huge room. Someone had changed her into a silk nightgown. The curtains had been opened allowing light to shine on the nightstand next to the bed. 

"Whoa. This room is even bigger than my parents." she said to herself.

"Good morning. Are you feeling better?" a voice said from behind her. She turned around to see Chris, sitting in a chair by her bed, holding a book.

"Much better." She smiled. "Thank you..."

"My name is Christopher Roland XIII, but you may call me Chris."

"And my name is Alicia. Alicia Maxwell."

That name sounded familiar to Chris for some reason, but he ignored it for the moment. There were more important things to worry about.

"Alicia, I need to ask you. Why were you bleeding last night and why didn't you want me to take you home."

Alicia bowed her head. He had asked the to questions she did not want to answer. "I was bleeding because I hurt myself and I didn't want to go home because I hate it there."

"Do you have a place to stay?"

She laughed bitterly. "If I have a place to stay than I wouldn't be here."

"Fine, then you shall stay here." Chris pressed a button on a wall. "Stewart, inform my father that our guest will be staying for some time."

Alicia stared at Chris. Confusion was plain in her sapphire blue eyes. "Why are you doing this for me?"

"I have a feeling that there is a lot more to this situation than you are letting on." He replied seriously. "And there is something about you. It tells me that you would be happy here.

This confused Alicia. No one had ever cared about her happiness before. She was about to say something when the maid walked in.

"Miss," she said. "I shall show you your quarters. Would you like to come Sir?"

"No thank you." Chris stood up. "There are things I must do in town today. I trust you will take care of Miss Alicia?"

The maid curtsied. "Yes Sir. Miss, please follow me." She led Alicia through a maze of hallways until there arrived in a small hallway with a single door at the end.

"This is your room." The door opened and Alicia entered into a room twice the size of the one she had been sleeping in. A canopy bed with light blue covers sat against the wall next to an elegant desk. On top of it was a laptop with a printer sitting to one side. A windowed alcove provided the perfect place to read one of many books on the shelf next to it. A closet full of the best clothes money could buy took up an entire side of the room!

"Wow!" Alicia raced to a window. She could see a garden with a small fountain and benches situated close to the back of the house.

A tap on the shoulder got Alicia's attention. "Miss, through this door is your bathroom." The bathroom had a large tub with gold handles. Various soaps, shampoos, conditioners, and bubble baths lined a cabinet above an ivory sink.

Alicia turned to stare at the maid. "This is all mine!"

"Yes."

"I do have one more question for you." Alicia began. "How is it that all of this was already prepared?"

"Chris had a feeling you might be staying with us for some time. He asked us to prepare these rooms when he arrived here with you last night. Now, should you need anything, press the intercom on the wall and ask for Mary. I will be there as soon as I can."

"Mary. I got it." Mary turned to leave. "Wait."

"Yes?" Mary asked with a curious look.

"Please call me Alicia."

She smiled. "Okay, Miss Alicia."

Alicia skipped down the hall. She had taken a nice, warm shower and gotten dressed in one of her new outfits: long black pants, a pink tank top, and black high heels. Her long brown hair was tied in a ponytail reaching her mid back.

She had already found the kitchen, the music room, and the sitting room. However, she was looking for Chris.

When she turned the next corner, she bumped into something quite solid. "Ow! I'm sorry I was looking for I was going and-"

The person chuckled. "It is quite all right Miss Alicia." He held out his hand. "I am Chris' father, Alex Roland."

Alicia allowed him to help her up. " Thank you for allowing me to stay here, sir."

"You are welcome. It's nice that Chris has made a friend."

Her face turned serious. "Why do you allow a complete stranger to stay in your house?"

"You are hiding something." he said seriously. "There is something about your home that you don't want us to know about." He went into a room that looked like a study.

Alicia continued down the hallway. As she passed by a door, she heard a bird chirping. She opened the door slightly and peeked inside. Chris was standing by a window. Perched on her hand was a swallow.

"Chris?" she said uncertainly.

He turned to face her. "Are you okay?"

"Are you sure this is all okay?"

"Yes." He smiled warmly. "Let me show you around our property."

Chris led Alicia around the house, which included a huge library that Alicia loved. Then he showed her the gardens, the forest, and the pool. Afterward, he let her wander to her heart's content.

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	3. Chapter 2

Summary: Chris finds a girl on the streets and takes her home with her. Can he help break the wall she has set around her heart? pre-Alice 19th  
Rating: K+ for now, may rise  
Pairing: Eventual ChrisxOC  
Disclaimer: Alice 19th belongs to Yuu Watase. I do not own it. I write purely to entertain. However, I do own all unrecognizable characters.

* * *

At 6:00, a bell rang that signal dinner. When Alicia and Chris arrived in the dining room, Chris' father was seated at the head of the table…

"Wow! Look at all the food!" Alicia shrieked.

…along with more food than Alicia had seen in a long, long time.

Chris shook his head. "I take it that you're hungry."

Alicia blushed, then quickly regained her composure. "I apologize for my outburst." She walked to the table and sat in the seat that Mary had pulled out for her. Chris sat across from her.

The first part of dinner passed quietly. Chris and his father talked softly about different preparations that needed to be made for their guest.

Right before dessert, Chris made an announcement. "Alicia I've decided to enroll you in St. Paul Academy. I attend school there."

Alicia nearly jumped in shock. "What do you mean 'you're going to enroll me?'" she said disbelievingly.

"While you are here, you should continue to get an education."

Several expressions flew across her face. Shock, fear, and…sadness. "I can't go there! I just can't…" She ran out the door and down the hall. Chris started after her but was stopped by his father

"Let her calm down first." he advised. Chris sat back down and picked at his dessert.

* * *

Alicia ran through the hallway, not knowing or caring where she was going. "They can't make me go. Not back there. I won't let them." She muttered to herself.

She ran until she ended up in front of the door to the music room. She went in quietly and took in all the different instruments.

Alicia inspected all the instruments in turn until she came upon one she was familiar with. "Ah, a violin." She plucked the strings and cringed at the sound they made. "An incredibly out-of-tune violin. Guess I should tune it." Tuning it took no time at all, despite the mess it was in. Once in tune, she began to play a melody, one that she had not heard in many years.

Chris started to look for Alicia. It was past nine and no one had seen her since she ran from the dining room. She wasn't in her room, the library, or by the fountain. Suddenly, his ears picked up a soft melody.

He followed the song to the music room. Making sure he was quiet, he entered the room. By the window stood Alicia, playing the violin with her eyes closed, completely immersed in her own reality. Chris waited until the song had ended had ended and she set the violin down to approach her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"She sighed. "No, but I will be."

"Why do you not want to attend St. Paul?

Alicia opened her eyes and gazed out the window. "Do you remember the orchestra teacher, Mrs. Maxwell?"

"Yes." Chris replied. He remembered the tragedy that surrounded her as well. "She was found dead in her house with a gun in her hand about five years ago. Everyone thought it was suicide."

She shook her head. Chris had no subtlety. "She was my mother. I was the person who found her." Alicia began to cry softly. "She was killed by a gunshot to the back of the head. It wasn't suicide."

Chris was starting to understand why Alicia sometimes gave off a somewhat cold and distrusting aura. She had lost her mother even earlier than she had to some psychopath. "What about your father?"

Alicia laughed bitterly. "Him? He got remarried six months later."

"I take it that is why you don't want to go home. Those memories must be painful…" Chris started.

"No. They make me perfectly happy." she said sarcastically.

"…but you still shall attend St. Paul Academy."

"Even after hearing that, you're still going to make me go!" she argued.

"St. Paul is one of the finest schools in Europe. I can enroll you under a false name if you wish so people won't badger you."

Alicia glared at Chris. Unfazed, he said "As long as you stay here, which you shall be doing for a while I take it, you shall go to school."

"Fine." She huffed. "But I would like a different last name."

"Good, we'll go see the headmaster tomorrow."

"Now, since you know more about me, let's learn more about you." Alicia said.

"Fine. What do you want to know?"

"How did you heal me?" she may have been momentarily distracted, but she hadn't forgotten how all of this started.

"I used the Lotis." When he got a confused look, he resigned himself to explaining what the Lotis words are. "The Lotis are the words that hold all positive feelings in life."

"Okay. I think I understand." Alicia didn't get it at all but she had a feeling she would find out very soon. "So how many words do you know?"

"I've only learned five words so far." He glanced down at his bracelet.

Suddenly, Alicia yawned. Chris looked at his watch. It was 10:30. he smiled. "I guess all the 'excitement' wore you out."

"Mm hm." She sighed and leaned her head on Chris' shoulder. "Carry me?"

"Okay." He lifted her onto his back and carried her back to her room. When he got there, he placed Alicia on her bed and pressed the intercom. "Mary, please dress Alicia for bed." He spared one more look for the girl who, at the moment, confused him to no end. One moment she could be cold, the next she could be practically affectionate. He shook his head. He was sure he'd understand more about her the longer she stayed. Before he left, he placed a light kiss on her forehead. "Goodnight Alicia."

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	4. Chapter 3

Summary: Chris finds a girl on the streets and takes her home with her. Can he help break the wall she has set around her heart? Pre-Alice 19th   
Rating: K+ for now, may rise  
Pairing: Eventual ChrisxOC  
Disclaimer: Alice 19th belongs to Yuu Watase. I do not own it. I write purely to entertain. However, I do own all unrecognizable characters.

* * *

Chris and Alicia sat in Chris' limo. Alicia fiddled with the hem of her navy blue skirt. She had gone to see the headmaster the night before. They determined that even though she was only eleven, she was smart and mature enough to be put in the seventh grade. 

When they arrived at St. Paul Academy, Chris escorted Alicia to the main office. Another student escorted her to class.

As Chris left, he gave the nervous girl a reassuring hug. "Don't worry. You'll be fine." Before he left he said, "Have fun!"

If any other boy had tried that, she probably would have slapped him hard. But for some reason, she didn't mind it when Chris hugged her.

Suddenly, the door opened. In walked the secretary and a boy. "Alicia Price, this is Andrew Williamson. He is in most of you classes. Please try to stay close to him."

"Miss Alicia, please follow me." Andrew led her through the door, down a hallway, and into the library. "Do you have your schedule?"

"Of course." was the reply he got.

"Then let's go get your books."

They walked into a small room in the back of the library. "Mrs. Frazer! A student needs some books!" he called out.  
Out of the back room came a short, irritable old lady. She took Alicia's schedule and went into the back room. When she came back, she had an armful of books. "Let's see. We have Algebra, English, World Geography, Physical Science, Music Theory, and Japanese." She then handed the pile to Alicia. The English, Algebra, and Geography books were put into her shoulder bag. The other three she carried in her arms.

Andrew chuckled softly. "Maybe we should go to your locker next." Alicia glared softly but didn't say anything.

She was led to a room that held many lockers. "This is the middle school locker room. Your locker is…" he glanced at her schedule. "…right here. He pointed to a locker at the end of the second row.

After all of Alicia's stuff was situated in her locker, Andrew took Alicia to Algebra. She had missed her first class, World Geography. She sat by the window, praying that the class would end soon.

After Algebra, she went to English. The were doing projects on _Romeo and Juliet_. She joined a group with Andrew and two other boys. However, the boys had more on their minds than the tragedy. They only back off when she told them she was only eleven.

Finally, she got to the one class she knew she would love. Chamber Orchestra. She was assigned second chair in the first violin section after performing a short audition for the teacher. They were preparing for a concert in two weeks.

* * *

Alicia sat on a bench in the shade of a willow tree. It was lunchtime but she did not have anything to eat. 

She heard someone shouting her name. She turned her head and saw Chris running over to her. When he got there, he gave her one of two lunch boxes.

"So, how has your day been so far?" he asked.

"It was okay. The only class I really enjoyed was orchestra." She opened her lunch box and pulled out a peach, her favorite fruit. Chris looked at her schedule while she was nibbling at her food. "Looks like you have gym last. That's good. I'll have gym with you."

"But I thought they didn't mix schools. You are part of the high school branch, are you not?"

"Yes, but there are too many students to have separate gym classes."

The rest of lunch was eaten in silence. Soon a bell rang the five-minute warning. Alicia stood up. "I'm off to music theory. Bye bye." With that, she ran into the building.

* * *

In Music Theory, the class discussed the Baroque style and how it differed from the Romantic style. As Alicia transferred in late in the school year, she didn't have to compose a song, which was the year-long project for the other students. 

In Japanese, they discussed different foods. There was a rumor going around that if they passed their next test with A's, they would get to go to a restaurant.

In Physical Science, they learned about atoms. Alicia, however, could not figure out why anyone would give a bunch of immature students acid to play with. Especially since on boy burned a hole through the table.

* * *

Lastly came gym. The students changed into their gym uniforms and lined up on the track. 

Today, they were running the mile. The boys had to go first. Alicia looked for Chris but didn't see him.

"Over here Alicia!" Chris waved from a seat on the bench.

"And why aren't you running?" Alicia asked sternly.

"I have a leg injury." He pointed absentmindedly at his leg. "I can't run."

"Alicia was about to name all the reasons why that didn't matter when the coach called her over. It was time for the girls to start running. Eight minutes and thirty-four seconds later, Alicia came to a stop in front of her coach. "I probably could have been faster." was the only thing she said after hearing her time.

Alicia went and sat down next to Chris. "I guess my first day was okay."

"I'm glad to hear that." he replied.

The rest of the day passed in relative calmness. Chris and Alicia went home, did her homework, and sat up for a few hours talking about random things.

However, fate would soon their lives upside down.

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	5. Chapter 4

Summary: Chris finds a girl on the streets and takes her home with her. Can he help break the wall she has set around her heart? Pre-Alice 19th  
Rating: K+ for now, may rise  
Pairing: Eventual ChrisxOC  
Disclaimer: Alice 19th belongs to Yuu Watase. I do not own it. I write purely to entertain. However, I do own all unrecognizable characters.

"…" - speech  
'…' – thought  
_words_ - flashback

* * *

A week passed at St. Paul Academy. And during that week, a new student caused quite a stir. Many of the boys worshipped the ground she walked on because they felt she was the most beautiful thing they'd ever seen, even though she was only eleven. The girls thought she was getting to much attention. 

Alicia, however, didn't care about any of this. She went about life as she normally would. At lunch, she did start eating on the school roof to get away from the unwanted stalkers, however.

This afternoon she sat on the ledge facing Big Ben. "Chris is late." She was starting to have cramps, but she decided it would be best to eat before taking any medicine for it. Then, she heard a door close behind her.

Three girls walked onto the roof. A week ago, these three had been the most popular girls in school. But when this newcomer arrived, their boyfriends dumped her. With their boyfriends gone, their popularity fell.

"Can I help you?" Alicia asked with her back still turned to the girls.

"We want you to leave St. Paul." the first one replied.

"We want our status back." the second one sneered.

Alicia stood up and started to walk towards the girls. She stopped about a foot away. "Then get your boyfriends back. Don't take it out on me. I'm not leaving."

* * *

Chris was walking toward the roof of the middle school building. He knew that Alicia would be there. 'Probably wondering why I am late.'

Suddenly, he felt a presence. 'This feeling…its mara!'

A scream sounded from the roof.

"Alicia!" Chris screamed.

* * *

While the first two girls had been talking, the third girl had snuck up behind Alicia, grabbed her hair, and yanked her head back. Alicia screamed until the girl put her hand over her mouth.

"Uh uh…there's no screaming in school." she said slyly. She ran her hand through Alicia's hair. "Your hair is so lovely. I'm sure all the boys love it. Wouldn't it be a shame if it all disappeared?" She then pulled out a pair of scissors.

Alicia tried to pull the girl off her, but the other two grabbed her arms. So she improvised.

She kneed one girl in the stomach. With the wind knocked out of her, the girl let go of Alicia's right arm. She pulled the girl off her left arm by her hair. Now the only one left was the one who was trying to cut Alicia's hair. Alicia crouched down and kicked the girl's legs from under her.

"Would you two liked to try anything else, or will you walk away?" Alicia glared at the girls who disturbed her. The girls stayed where they were.

"Fine." she smirked. She kicked the girl back to her friends and sat down on the roof facing them, just in case.

"Dara (fierce wind)!" the first girl yelled.

Strong winds blew around Alicia. She was forced backwards and started to fall backwards. "Chris!" she screamed. "Help me!"

She fell faster and faster towards the ground. 'Chris can't save me. Am I really going to die?' Alicia shook her head. 'I can't die. I won't die!'

Wings sprouted from her back and she floated safely to the ground. She just sat there on the ground. "Oh my God. How did I do that?'

* * *

Chris stood with Alicia inside the Lotusan Sacred Legion. He had arrived on the roof in time to see Alicia fall off the roof. When the wings of vimuku appeared, he knew she was destined to be a Lotis master like him.

_Alicia sat on the ground stunned. Chris ran to her and shook her shoulders franticly. "Alicia, Alicia! Come on! Snap out of it.!"_

_She turned to Chris dazed. "What happened to me. How did I fly?"_

"_You use vimuku, one of the words of the Lotis. You are one of the chosen people who can use the Lotis, just like me._

"_Me? A Lotis Master?" She looked at him disbelievingly. "That can't be true. I don't have any 'special powers'."_

"_You do." he said. "Come on. I'll explain it to you later." Chris told the school nurse that Alicia wasn't feeling well and that he would take her home. Then, he called Stewart and had him take to the Sanctuary._

"Phillip!" Chris called. "Where are you!"

A blonde man walked out of a door in the side of the sanctuary. "I'm coming. Not very patient, are you?" Then he noticed Alicia. "My, my. Has Chris gotten a girlfriend?"

Chris blushed. "Phillip…" he said sternly.

Phillip chuckled. He knelt and kissed her palm, ignoring Chris' muttering about 'stupid blond womanizers'. "Nice to meet you, my lady. My name is Phillip. I was the one who brought Chris to the Lotis."

She smiled. "I am Alicia."

"Earlier, Alicia fell off the school roof because of some girls. She was able to save herself using vimuku." Chris said.

"I see. So this lovely lady has the ability to use the Lotis. Alicia, please hold out your arm."

Alicia did as she was told. Phillip placed his hands on her right wrist. They glowed for a second, the light faded away. When he took his hands away, a bracelet hung from her wrist.

"The beads on this bracelet represent the words you have mastered." he explained. "So far there is only one bead on the bracelet for vimuku. You should try to learn them all.

"The Lotis is a representation of all things good in the world. Lotis masters must exorcize mara from the world-"

"What's mara?" Alicia asked.

"Mara is the opposite of the Lotis. The are the negative feelings that people feel in the world. There are Maram masters, people who use the maram words to hurt and use people." Chris answered.

"As I was saying…" Phillip said. "You must exorcize mara to keep the world from becoming too corrupt with evil. I wish you luck." And with that, he left.

"Come with me, Alicia." Chris said. "I know of a good café we can go to."

"Yeah…let's go." They walked to a café that sold cakes and cookies and other delicious pastries along with coffee and tea. At the counter stood a plump lady with red hair.

"Hello Chris." she said. "Who is your friend?"

"Hello Margaret. This is Alicia."

"Nice to meet you Alicia. What will you two be having today?"

"I would like a slice of cherry pie and a cup of tea please." Chris said.

"I would like a piece of chocolate cake and coffee." Alicia said.

"That will be 5 pounds." Chris handed Margaret the money and they sat down at a table by the window.

"I take it you come here often, Chris."

"Yes. It's nice to be able to be in such a warm environment. So whenever I need to cheer up, I come here."

Margaret walked to their table. "Here is your order. Enjoy!"

"YUM!" Chris sighed when he tasted his pie.

Alicia giggled. "So you like sweets." 'I guess he's still a child inside.'

Soon they finished off their treats. As they walked home Alicia asked, "Will we need to exorcize the mara from that girl?"

"Yes." Chris replied. "We'll do it tomorrow."

* * *

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	6. Chapter 5

Summary: Chris finds a girl on the streets and takes her home with her. Can he help break the wall she has set around her heart? Pre-Alice 19th  
Rating: K+ for now, may rise  
Pairing: Eventual ChrisxOC  
Disclaimer: Alice 19th belongs to Yuu Watase. I do not own it. I write purely to entertain. However, I do own all unrecognizable characters.

* * *

"Alicia…Alicia!"

Alicia woke with a start. She looked up and saw a pair of brown eyes staring back at her. "Geez. Andrew! Don't scare me like that."

Andrew glared softly at her. "Well it is kinda hard to act out Romeo and Juliet without a Juliet."

"Oh. Sorry." They were acting out Romeo and Juliet as an English project. All the boys in her class chose her to be Juliet. She didn't mind because she loved acting. However, they couldn't agree on who should be Romeo. After Mercutio, Romeo was the best guy in the play. In the end, Andrew was Romeo.

"Why don't you say your lines from the balcony scene." Andrew suggested.

"Okay…'Goodnight, goodnight. Parting is such sweet sorrow. That I should say goodnight 'til it be morrow.'" After a brief kiss with Andrew, she continued her lines.

Finally the teacher dismissed them. Alicia was about to go to Orchestra when Andrew stopped her. "Hey Alicia, what's wrong with you?"

"What do you mean?" she asked puzzled.

"You have been completely out of it. On top of that, you've been sleeping in class, you forgot half of your lines in the play, you left-"

"Okay, okay. I get it." Alicia stopped him from going on some hour-long rant.

"I take it that this has something to do with those girls on the roof?"

"Yes…" Suddenly what he said sunk in. "How do you know about that." The girls had been quiet and she and Chris hadn't said anything.

"Philip. That man knows everything about all Lotis Masters' lives." he stated.

"Let me guess. You're a Lotis Master?"

He rolled down his sleeve down enough to expose his upper arm. Dangling from his wrist was a bracelet with six beads on it. "You and Chris are not the only Lotis Masters at this school. I am one of the British Chapter's finest neo-masters." he said with pride and a hint of arrogance.

"Fine. Meet me and Chris on the on the roof at lunch."

"Huh?" Andrew looked confused.

"You dimwit." Alicia rested her head in her palm and sighed.

"Hey!" he warned. "Watch it."

"We're going to exorcize that girl during lunch and I'd feel better if you were there." he said.

"Okay." Andrew replied. He turned and walked away. "I'll be there…"

* * *

Andrew raced up the stairs. 'Aw man! Lunch started 10 minutes ago. Alicia was going to be pissed!' He ran through the door that led to the roof.

"You're late Andrew."

Andrew turned to his right and saw Alicia and Chris standing by the door. He moved to stand next to them. "Sorry. Mr. Adams kept me late."

"What are _you _doing here?" Chris asked in the coldest voice he could muster. He had never been overly fond of Andrew. All the masters at the sanctuary favored him because of the speed at which he was learning the words.

"_I_ was invited." Andrew retorted with a hint of arrogance.

Alicia put herself in between the two boys. "Now, now. Can we please save our arguing for another time?"

"Fine." Chris replied.

"So Alicia," Andrew asked, "how do you know that those girls will come after you?"

"I heard them talking about it when I got to school this morning. You would think that if someone was plotting something, they'd do it in a more quiet place." She grabbed a peach from Chris and began to nibble at it. "So…how do you get into the inner heart anyways?"

Chris sighed. He had forgotten that Alicia knew so little about the inner heart. "Just stay with us and we promise that you will get in."

Suddenly, the door opened. Inside stood the people they had been waiting for. Chris, Andrew, and Alicia could feel the mara radiating off of them, especially the girl in the middle.

Andrew walked up to them. "Now, now ladies. Certainly you don't want to fight us."

"Matsu (restrain)." The girls on the sides said. Ropes appeared from nowhere.

"Pity." He shook his head. "Vimuku (release)!" The ropes loosened and fell.

Chris ran up to the girl in the middle and held his hand towards her head. "Na Sadaru Lotis Ran!"

Alicia saw a flash of light. The next thing she knew, she was standing in a winter wonderland. Red and Gold ribbons draped her back and chest.

"Welcome, my lady," Andrew said, "to the inner heart."

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	7. Chapter 6

Summary: Chris finds a girl on the streets and takes her home with her. Can he help break the wall she has set around her heart? Pre-Alice 19th  
Rating: K+ for now, may rise  
Pairing: Eventual ChrisxOC  
Disclaimer: Alice 19th belongs to Yuu Watase. I do not own it. I write purely to entertain. However, I do own all unrecognizable characters.

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The inner heart is a reflection of how a person views the world. For example, if a person views the world as a prison, there could be something to keep them trapped in their inner heart. Now, this girl's heart was a winter paradise. It was just cold enough for soft snow to fall. The lakes and rivers were covered in a thick layer of ice that could be easily skated on.

Alicia, Chris, and Andrew stood on the roof of the school. The first two girls were like statues, just standing there frozen by the door. The middle girl was nowhere in sight.

"This is her inner heart. She could be just about anywhere." Chris started to survey how big the world was. "If we're going to search the entire world, then we should probably split up."

Andrew smirked. "Fine. But Alicia should go with one of us." He put his arm around her. "She can come with me."

Alicia shook her head. "This won't end well…" she muttered to herself.

Chris frowned. He walked over to Andrew, took his arm off her, and said, "I think she should come with me. I know her better."

Alicia sighed softly. 'And so starts the back and forth argument. Maybe I'll look around some.'

"But I'm her classmate and friend." Andrew said.

"I'm her housemate." Chris countered.

"So? I'm older and could protect her better."

"But she trusts me more."

"WHAT! I dare you to say that again." Andrew growled, glaring daggers, forks, and knives at Chris.

"Okay. She trusts me – hey. Wait a second." Chris looked around. "Alicia's gone."

Andrew looked from side to side. He and Chris were the only people on the roof. "Oh my." He sighed. "We need to find her before she gets into trouble."

They ran down the stairs and started to search the inner heart for Alicia. They didn't split up, however, because neither one trusted the other to tell him when the found her.

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Alicia had wandered far away from the school. She was in what she thought was park not to far from Chris's mansion. A large, frozen lake was not far away. There were trees everywhere, all without leaves and covered in icicles.

"I wonder if they realize that I've left them." she chuckled. "Probably not. Maybe they'll be able to put aside their differences when they notice."

As she walked around the lake, she heard something. It sounded like an announcer. "-Ice Skating Championship. Now for our next competitor. Please welcome Miss Ali Rose!" he shouted. The sound of the crowd carried all the way to where Alicia stood.

She followed the noise all the way to the far side of the lake. As she closer, she saw a sign that read _4th Annual Ice Skating Championship_.

"This must be where that girl is. This is the only place I've found people." Alicia slowly began to approach the ice. Sure enough, the girl that had pushed her off the roof was standing on the ice in a silver skating outfit and white skates. But something was off. Her left leg was covered in blood. Her left leg was covered in blood!

That didn't seem to stop her though. She skated faster and faster behind her. Then a black swan appeared behind her.

'What the hell! Is that a Mara?"

It flew around as if to protect her from something. Its eyes began to glow red. When Ali looked at her, her eyes were glowing red as well.

"Oh no…" Alicia whispered. She tried to turn and run but found that she couldn't move. Her body was paralyzed.

"Dara!" Ali yelled. Gale forced winds enveloped Alicia. She screamed as the wind tore at her clothes and skin. The pressure forced all the wind from her lungs.

'I can't breathe. Please…help me…'

Somehow, she found the ability to move. She kneeled and anchored herself to the ground by tightly gripping a pole. 'Oh no. This is not good. I can't hold on for much longer.' She screamed as a wind shear sliced her right below her collarbone. "Andrew! Chris! HELP ME!"

With her last scream, the air in Alicia's lungs had been forced out. Her vision began to fade. Slowly, her grip on the pole fell slack. The wind tore her up from the ground and tossed her to and fro.

"SHIBI!" The winds receded and Alicia fell right into Andrew's arms. He carefully lowered her to the ground and checked her to see how bad her injuries were. Alicia just laid there, perfectly still. Her skin was a deathly pale, sharply contrasting the deep red blood from her wounds.

Chris looked at Alicia fearfully. "Is she okay?"

"I don't know." Andrew sighed.

"What do you mean you don't know!" Chris yelled. He quickly put up a shield to block them from more attacks.

"I mean she should be fine. Her breathing is normal. The only injuries she has are the dozen or so cuts on her body but she's not waking up."

The black Mara had grown tired of their talking and decided to up its attacks.

"Riiya." Andrew jumped off the ground. "I'll hold them back. Get her to wake up."

Chris didn't need to be told twice. "Jiva." The cuts quickly vanished without leaving a trace of their existence. "Come on Alicia. I know you're stronger than this."

Alicia lay there as still as can be.

"Come on Alicia. Wake up." he begged. "You can't do this to me or Andrew. You can't leave us." A soft light glowed from his bracelet. The twelfth word of the Lotus, san, appeared on her forehead.

The light covered her body. Her sapphire blue eyes blinked once, then twice, then three times. Then they turned to look at him. "Chris?" she whispered.

Chris was so happy he could have cried. "Thank goodness." He tuned back to Andrew. "Hey! She's awaked!"

"Good. Now back to the matter at hand. We have to exercise Little Miss Skater before the Mara steals her soul." Andrew said.

Chris helped Alicia walk over to where he was. Even though her cuts were healed she was still very sore. "What should I do?" she asked.

"Just think of any word that could exorcise the Mara." Chris said.

"But I don't know any words." Alicia began to panic. She would just get in the way. She had no power.

Andrew turned around and looked directly at her. "Fool! Do you think you could use the Lotis if you had no power? If you keep talking like that, that girl will be consumed by the Mara!"

Whatever Alicia thought that Andrew would say, it wasn't that. "Okay." She thought of what would have led Ali to fall to Mara. Well, her boyfriend had dumped her for someone two years younger than her, Alicia herself, but that would make anyone mad. She had a lot of friends do that couldn't be it. Wait…

Alicia looked up. There was blood dripping down Ali's leg. "That's it! Jiva!" A warm light flowed from her body and covered Ali. The blood dried up and disappeared. With a shriek, the Mara fell back and disappeared.

"Yes! Way to exorcise Mara!" Andrew yelled. He pulled her into a tight embrace.

Chris walked up beside them. "Congratulations."

They then turned their attention to Ali. She was sitting dazed in the ice. Alicia walked up to her. "I'm not sure what caused the Mara to possess you, but if you ever have a problem, you can talk to me."

Chris was impressed. Alicia didn't seem to be the most forgiving person on the Earth, but she could forgive this girl.

With a flash of light, the inner heart disappeared. They were back on the school roof. The first two girls looked around stunned then ran back into the school.

Andrew bent down and picked up Ali. "I'll take her to the nurse's office." He walked down the stairs and back into the school.

Alicia and Chris started to follow him when they heard clapping behind them.

"Well done Lotis masters."

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	8. Chapter 7

Summary: Chris finds a girl on the streets and takes her home with her. Can he help break the wall she has set around her heart? Pre-Alice 19th  
Rating: K+ for now, may rise  
Pairing: Eventual ChrisxOC  
Disclaimer: Alice 19th belongs to Yuu Watase. I do not own it. I write purely to entertain. However, I do own all unrecognizable characters.

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Chris and Alicia turned to see who had snuck up on them. There stood a boy with curly blond hair and bright sapphire blue eyes smiling broadly at them. Judging by appearances, he couldn't be any older than 13.

"You did such a great job on exorcising that girl." For than I must congratulate you. However, you still have a long way to go."

Chris placed himself in front of Alicia. "What do you mean by that?" Chris asked warily.

The boy's smile twisted into a smirk. "You both harbor a great darkness in your hearts. And of course, such things wouldn't taint a true Lotis master."

"And who the hell do you think you are?" Alicia spat at him.

"Oh my. I did forget to introduce myself, didn't I? I am Samuel." A dark aura surrounded his arms, forming 11 different runes. "I'm a master of the Maram words." Before either Lotis master has a chance to react he backed towards the edge of the roof. "By the way, you're family seems to be doing well Alicia. Seems you were worth nothing to them after all. With that, he jumped off the roof. Alicia and Chris ran towards the edge and looked over. There was not a trace of him.

Ding Ding Ding

Chris looked back towards the door. "Come Alicia, we need to get back to class."

When Chris reached the entrance to the student drop-off ramp, he was surprised to see Andrew there. He looked like he was stressed over something. Upon seeing Chris, Andrew approached him quickly. "What happened after I left you two today?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Alicia hasn't been to any of her classes since lunch. I went to the office after the final bell and they said she had checked herself out. She was perfectly fine when I left her. What caused her to leave?"

Chris ran his hands through his hair. Andrew never was one to back off when he wanted to know something. "Alicia was told by someone that she meant nothing to her family. Maybe she took it badly?"

Andrew gave Chris a look that practically screamed 'No crap! Of course she took it badly!' "We need to find her. Could she have gone to your house?"

Chris shook his head. "I doubt it. More likely than not she does not want to be found."

"Then we should head to the sanctuary. Phillip can probably help us find her."

"Hey! Old man!" Andrew yelled as he and Chris walked into the sanctuary.

A blonde man walked out of a door to their right. "For the last time, I'm am _not_ old."

"But I got your attention, didn't I?" Andrew smirked.

"Phillip, has Alicia come here?" Chris interjected.

The blond man shook his head. "No, I haven't seen anyone else but you two today. Has she gone missing?"

"Yes." Andrew answered. "And since you love poking your nose into other people's lives, you must know some of her favorite places."

Phillip emerald green eyes darkened. "Actually, when I did an Internet search about her I found something interesting. She is a daughter of Paul Maxwell is she not?"

"Yes…"

"Then something is wrong with her family. In every article I pulled up on her family, only one child is mentioned: a young girl a few years older than Alicia named Katherine. The first and only time Alicia is mentioned is during the investigation of her mother's death."

Chris and Andrew's eyes widened. "What does that mean?" Andrew asked.

"That family is hiding something big."

Alicia stepped out of the taxi into the warm summer breeze. "I'm back."

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